This invention generally relates to the art of food preparation and, particularly, to a basket for holding food products during cooking, such as a wire form basket for holding food products in a deep frying apparatus.
Various types of containers or baskets are used for holding food products during cooking. For instance, wire form baskets are used for holding various types of food products, such as potatoes, pies, meat products and the like in a deep frying apparatus. Typically, the baskets are loaded with the bulk food products and are lowered into a reservoir of hot frying oil. In preparing french fried potatoes, for instance, a typical wire form basket simply is of an open-top structure, rectangular in configuration, and includes upright side walls about a bottom wall. One or more handles may be provided for manually or automatically lowering the wire form basket and food products into the hot frying oil.
Another type of food product prepared by deep frying apparatus is chicken filets. If the filets simply are deposited in a bulk-type basket as described above for potato products, the filets tend to curl-up during cooking. Such a product not only appears to be smaller in size, but the curled-up filets are difficult to use in sandwich products, such as in high volume restaurants or similar establishments. Even if the filets are arranged on a flat support, the filets still have a tendency to curl-up during cooking. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems, and providing a basket for holding food products in a unique movable shelf system.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved container or basket for preparing food products.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved wire form basket for holding food products in a cooking apparatus, such as a deep frying apparatus.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the basket includes a wire form frame having a plurality of upright side walls defining a frying space therewithin. A plurality of generally horizontal food-supporting shelves are vertically stackable in the space between the side walls, with one shelf on top of another shelf. Complementary interengaging mounting means are provided between at least some of the shelves and the frame to provide for moving the shelves from horizontal food-supporting positions to generally vertical loading positions to allow food products to be loaded onto a given shelf without interference from any shelf above the given shelf.
As disclosed herein, the shelves are fabricated in wire form. The frame has an open top and open front and includes a bottom wall defining a fixed food-supporting shelf above which the movable shelves are stacked.
Generally, the complementary interengaging mounting means include pivot means to provide for pivoting of the shelves between their positions. Slide means are provided for sliding the shelves to clear other shelves already moved to their loading positions. The pivot means is part of the slide means. In particular, the shelves have pivot pins at opposite sides thereof that extend into generally horizontal grooves on the side walls of the frame. The pivot pins allow the shelves to pivot to upright positions, while the grooves allow the shelves to move horizontally forward during pivoting to clear the shelves which already have been moved to their vertical loading positions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.